This Idaho cave gave ice-cold beer to the Wild West – here’s how

Young Alfa Kinsey’s Discovery That Built Shoshone’s Ice Empire

In 1880s Idaho, 10-year-old Alfa Kinsey was just looking for lost livestock when he found something much cooler. He crawled through a small hole in the desert and felt a chill.

What he’d found were ice caves formed by ancient lava flows that stayed freezing year-round. Word spread fast.

Soon, the new railroad town of Shoshone put this natural wonder to work.

Locals hauled ice blocks from 100 feet below ground, making Shoshone the only place for hundreds of miles where thirsty travelers could get cold beer.

The town soon boasted over 20 saloons thanks to one boy’s lucky stumble. The Shoshone Ice Caves still stand today as a monument to frontier ingenuity and one very lost cow.

A Boy’s Search For Missing Cows Changed Idaho History

10-year-old Alfa Kinsey was looking for his family’s lost cows in the 1880s when he spotted something weird in the Idaho desert. While searching across the dry land, he found a small hole about two feet wide.

Curious, he crawled inside and felt a sudden chill. The temperature dropped as he went deeper.

Alfa had found what later became known as the Shoshone Ice Caves.

The cave stayed freezing cold all year because of how air moved through it, trapping cold air inside.

News Traveled Fast Across The Frontier

Alfa told his friends and family about the cold cave he found. In the small towns of frontier Idaho Territory, exciting news like this spread quickly.

Neighbors wanted to see this strange cold spot for themselves.

Soon, folks from miles around made the trip to check out the mysterious cave in the middle of the desert. Visitors couldn’t believe a place could stay so cold during hot Idaho summers.

People started talking about ways to use this natural wonder.

Lava Flows Created A Natural Freezer

The caves formed about 10,000 years ago when a nearby volcano erupted.

Hot lava flowed across the land, and as the outer layer cooled and hardened, the melted rock inside kept flowing. This left behind hollow tunnels called lava tubes.

The Shoshone Ice Cave stretches about 1,700 feet long, 50 feet wide, and stands 45 feet high. The cave’s shape and position create a natural air system that traps cold winter air inside.

Shoshone Grew From Railroad Tracks

The town of Shoshone started in 1882 when workers built the Oregon Short Line railroad through the area. The town quickly grew into the main station for south central Idaho’s Magic Valley region.

Train crews, passengers, and settlers saw the spot as an important stop on trips across the territory. The railroad brought steady traffic through Shoshone, creating a ready market for goods and services.

Locals Spotted A Golden Opportunity

Frontier folks quickly realized they had struck gold with the ice caves. Before electric fridges existed, natural ice was very valuable, especially in hot desert areas.

The caves gave Shoshone something no other town for hundreds of miles had: year-round access to ice. Smart business owners saw the chance to offer services no one else could provide.

The natural resource gave the small railroad town a huge edge over other stops.

Workers Hauled Ice The Hard Way

Getting ice from the caves took serious muscle. Workers climbed down 100 feet using ropes and ladders to reach the frozen floor.

They used picks, saws, and hand tools to cut blocks from the solid ice. Teams then tied the heavy chunks to ropes and pulleys to haul them to the surface.

From there, workers loaded the ice onto wagons for the trip to town. The work was backbreaking, but worth it for those willing to do it.

Cold Blocks Became Hot Commodities

The ice from the caves turned into a valuable trade good. Wagons took blocks throughout the region, and later, the railroad carried ice to farther places.

Local businesses bragged about their ability to keep food fresh and drinks cold. In a time before modern refrigeration, this set Shoshone apart from other frontier towns.

The ice trade network grew as more people wanted cold drinks and fresh food.

Saloons Served The Coldest Drinks In Idaho

Shoshone quickly got famous for something travelers craved after long, hot journeys: ice-cold beer. The town grew to support between 23 and 25 saloons and restaurants at its peak.

Each place proudly advertised cold drinks, a luxury hard to find elsewhere.

Train passengers and crew members spread the word about the town where you could get a properly chilled drink. This reputation brought in customers from all over who wanted to try this rare frontier luxury.

Business Boomed Thanks To Frozen Water

The mix of steady railroad traffic and exclusive access to ice created a perfect business setting. Travelers went out of their way to stop in Shoshone, drawn by its cold refreshments.

Local business owners built thriving shops catering to these visitors. The town developed a unique identity centered around its special natural resource.

Shoshone became known as the oasis in the desert, where weary travelers could refresh themselves with cold drinks.

Cave Keepers Learned Climate Control

People running the ice cave operation figured out they needed to manage the air inside. They sealed one end of the cave to stop warm air from melting their valuable ice.

Workers learned through trial and error how to maintain the natural cooling system. They found that limiting access and exposure to outside air helped keep the ice intact.

This knowledge let them harvest ice year-round without using it all up.

One Kid’s Mistake Made History

Alfa Kinsey never expected his search for missing livestock would change Idaho history.

His accidental find while looking for family animals transformed Shoshone from just another railroad stop into a famous frontier destination.

The natural ice cave he crawled into became the foundation for a thriving regional commerce system.

Today, the Shoshone Ice Caves continue to attract visitors as a tourist attraction, preserving the legacy of a boy who took a wrong turn while doing his chores and stumbled into history.

Visiting Shoshone Ice Caves, Idaho

The Shoshone Ice Caves at 1561 N Highway 75 tell the story of 10-year-old Alfa Kinsey, who discovered these natural ice caves in the 1880s while searching for lost livestock.

His find became the foundation for frontier Idaho’s ice trade, making railroad town Shoshone famous as the only place for hundreds of miles where travelers could get ice-cold beer.

Guided tours run hourly from 10am-5pm, May through September, costing $15 for adults and $10 for kids.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

Read more from this brand:

• The brazen 1865 heist that stole Idaho’s capital in a cloud of dust
• In the hills of Idaho, a chief’s vision in 1740 united two worlds at Cataldo Mission
• When NASA came to Idaho – the lava fields that trained Apollo 14 astronauts